Hiding Out

Monday
When the alarm went off this morning, I knew there was no way I was going into the office. My face was puffy; I had dark circles under my eyes and I looked like I’d just filmed a Billy Wilder film. I emailed a few of the key people at the office and fell back into bed. A few hours later, my phone rang. It was a very worried Minori-san. “Colleen-san, do you have to go to the hospital? I will take you!” I assured her that I didn’t require emergency medical attention. Just sleep.

Around noon, the buzzer to my apartment rang. It was Yuki, bringing lunch. I was groggy, but touched. I went back to bed.

Around 6, I was just starting to move around. I had just heard the news about Peter Jennings when my buzzer went off again. This time it was Minori-san, coming to make sure I wasn’t dead. She also brought some food. I can’t believe how thoughtful these people are. It’s nice to know someone’s checking on you.

I made a mental note: don’t play hooky, because they come looking for you.